Natthawut Saikua, a detained red-shirt leader, cried foul yesterday over "double standards" by the government, saying red-shirt leaders had been held in custody for over eight months but two yellow-shirt leaders arrested last week were quickly freed on bail.

Natthawut wrote a letter to vent his frustration.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit told a press conference Natthawut complained in the letter that charges laid against red-shirt leaders were overblown and the Department of Special Investigation had rushed to file them.

Natthawut said authorities were apparently trying to keep the red-shirt leaders locked up for as long as possible because eight months had passed, but there was still no progress in the terrorism case against them.

He said in his letter that the red-shirt leaders were denied the right to temporary release even though they surrendered, while yellow-shirt leaders had been captured.

Natthawut was referring to Chaiwat Sinsuwong and Somboon Thongburan, who were arrested last week and then allowed to go home after posting Bt800,000 (S$33,000) in bail.

Prompong noted that Kanit na Nakhon, chairman of the truth and reconciliation committee, had made a similar comment.

Kanit said the case against Chaiwat and Somboon was not treated according to the same principles as the case against the red-shirt leaders.

Kanit said Chaiwat and Somboon were released on bail but bail applications by the red-shirt leaders were rejected despite all of them facing terrorism charges.

Kanit was cited as complaining that the National Police and the Department of Special Investigation would not cooperate with his panel's probe into the two crackdowns on red-shirt protesters on April 10 and May 19.

Prompong said Pheu Thai had learned that certain government leaders and military brass had interfered with the case against the red-shirt leaders, which caused the delay.

The government had to cease its unfair practices immediately so that reconciliation could be realised in the country, he said.

The red shirts will rally on February 13 outside the Criminal Court, instead of the Remand Prison, group leader Thida Thawornset said. On that day, Thida will read a letter from the leaders in jail asking judges not to use double standards.

-The Nation/Asia News Network